Keys to Happiness
by writer chickie
Summary: The Death of a loved one and near fatel accident bring about a relationship (JE)
1. Prologue

Disclaimer - I don't own any of the General Hospital Charecters if I did they would lead much happier lives.  
  
Author's note - While I am in the middle of writing Aftermath I felt the urge to write this story. It was going to be a challenge fic but as of now I am unsure whether or not it will end up meating the promt for the challenge. For those who are spoiler free beware there are some spoilers in this story, so you may not want to read this. Also while this story isn't intended to be completely sad, it will have at least 3 sad parts total in order to move the story in the right direction and this chapter is one of the 3 sorry =( . As always I love comments on the story either in replys to the story or in email form at web_chick_18@hotmail.com Thanks =)  
  
Keys to Happiness  
  
To many September 24th was a day like any other, but then those who could say that hadn't been close to Emily Bowmen Quartermaine. For those who had known and cared for her it was the day they lost a light from their lives. Emily had only been twenty two, but death knows no age. Despite her fighting spirit Emily had lost the battle with Breast Cancer. To all who knew her it was a blow, that while not unexpected still knocked them senseless. In their greif Emily's loved ones come together in ways that would have made Emily proud if she could have seen it.  
  
On September 27th the town of Port Charles, New York said its final farewell to a young woman who had given so much to those around her. There was not a dry eye as a flower strewn coffin was lowered into the ground and covered with earth. Laying Emily beside her Mother in eternity.   
  
Among those there to say good bye there was a common thought circulating in the minds of those who had been closest to Emily; "Why did she have to die?", "Why could I have died in her place?" This thought was loudest in the minds of Jason Morgan, Zander Smith, Nikolas Cassodine and Elizabeth Webber. Without Emily their lives would look so dark that their imaginations couldn't create any images and they would gladly at that moment have traded their lives for Emily's. Each felt their sins were heavy where Emily's had been light. To say they were lost would be an under statement, but to say that they were hopeless would be an exaggeration. Inside each was the power to continue. Emily had left them each they key to their happiness, but in their grief they were too blinded to see it.   
  
As her older brother Jason would gladly have laid down his life in exchange for his little sister's. Having taken so many lives he didn't feel he had the right to live while someone so pure as Emily had died.  
  
In the name of love Zander and Nikolas would have happily exchanged their lives for hers. Without her they felt there was no hope, no light in the world.  
  
Given the chance to trade her life for Emily's Elizabeth would have leapt for joy. Her life was so filled with despair and Emily's had been so full of hope. She had to wonder if fate had some how made a horrible mistake.  
  
As the sun set it cast four greiving people into a cold shadow. Though dusk and its chill was upon them they felt nothing, too cocooned in their thoughts and their grief to notice. 


	2. Chapter 1

Author's note - I'm just on a role with this story tonight. For all those who are spoiler free, sorry the beginning of this story is seeming to be full of them. If you come back in like a week or two though they won't be spoilers any more =) Sorry this has such a sad beginning but I promise things will in the long run get happier.   
  
Keys to Happiness - Chapter 1  
  
Elizabeth stood beside Emily's headstone telling her about all that had happened in Port Charles since her death. While it had only been a week and a half since the funeral it felt like so much longer. Laying a bouquet made of Bells of Ireland, Sunflowers and Sweat Peas on the headstone baring her best friends name Elizabeth turned to leave. Walking slowly back to her car Elizabeth reflected on the events of the past week and a half. Her divorce had been finalized, much to her releif. Ric had been sentenced to Ferncliffe after and evaluation had revealed what many had suspected, Ric was deeply disturbed mentally. The Judge had placed him in Ferncliffe until such a time that the doctors deemed him mentaly fit to understand the nature of his crimes and the penalty for those crimes.   
  
Getting into her car Elizabeth sat for a moment trying, unsuccessfully, to come to terms with all that had happened. After a moment Elizabeth admitted defeat, for the moment. With a sigh she buckled up and started the car, heading for Kelly's to meet Nikolas, Lucky and Zander for dinner. Since Emily's funeral they had been meeting for dinner to offer each other what comfort they would with their presence.   
  
Kelly's was fairly empty when Elizabeth met up with the boys inside. Through dinner they avoided the still raw subject of Emily. Elizabeth knew that they would have to talk about it eventually but for now she was grateful not to bring it up.  
  
Afterwards Elizabeth helped Penny clean up, putting off returning to her studio and the memories it held. Once the table was cleared she couldn't delay anymore. Walking outside Elizabeth felt the chill of autum and noticed the fog and shivered. Pulling her coat closer she looked both ways before starting across the street to her car.  
  
The fog hid the car until it was too late. Elizabeth didn't have time to jump out of the driver's path and could only stare in horror as time slowed to a crawl and the car kept coming at her.  
  
Across the street Penny was just coming out of Kelly's, Elizabeth's forgotten scarf in hand. Before she could utter a sound, either in warning or in horror the car hit Elizabeth sending her up and over the hood to roll off the back and onto the pavementas the car roared away. For a second time seemed to stand still, but then it shifted into fast forward. As fast as she could Penny jerked the door to Kelly's open and yelled to Georgie to call an Ambulance before running across the street to where Elizabeth lay.  
  
Penny was beyond glad to find Elizabeth breathing. Knowing better than to move her, Penny just sat there talking nonsense to Elizabeth in an effort to keep her concious. Minuets after the hit and run the ambulance arrived and Elizabeth was rushed to General Hospital.  
  
  
  
It was late evening by the time Jason managed to drag himself out of bed, helped in part by the sound of the penthouse door slamming. The sound served only to agravate his hang over induced head ache. It had been a week and a half since Emily's funeral and he had spent his time either starring into nothingness or drinking himself into an alcohol induced haze to drive away the pain of Emily's death. He knew it was the cowardly thing to do, but everthing else just seemed to hurt too much.   
  
Courtney found him sitting on the edge of the bed, head in his hands and wasn't surprised. She had watched him down alcohol like water for the past week and a half and hadn't thought much about it, Sonny did the same thing on bad days and so had AJ. Besides she had her own problems to worry about. She was just glad Jason hadn't been out of the penthouse since his sister's funeral. If he had he would know what she had done and would never want to marry her. But if he stayed in the penthouse he would never know and he would still lover her. This in mind she made sure that there was plenty of alcohol still in the penthouse, so she would go finish hiding what she had done. Not that she had meant for it to happen of course, but it had been so foggy and that woman had stepped right out in front of her. With a last check of the liquor cabinet Courtney was out the door again.   
  
Jason heard the door slam again and wondered what was going on when his cell phone began ringing shrilly. Swearing Jason grabed it, on the second try, from the night stand. Answering with a gruff "Morgan", Jason was shocked by the news he received. Letting the phone drop from his hand Jason pulled on the closest clothes to hand, grabbed his jacket and keys and was out the door. Forgotten on the floor his cell phone lay beeping with the monotone voice of a recording suggesting it might be wise to hang up and try the call again. 


	3. Chapter 2

Author's note - For all those out there that have a medical background I'm sorry if I didn't make things realistic...truth be told the most I know about human medicine is that I have an alergic reaction to the sun and what they show on ER...I know how animals react to being hit and that is kinda what I am going off of (I've spent more summers as a vet assistant than I care to remember.)Updates are going to be slow in coming with this story and with Aftermath for a while. While I know where this story is headed and may have a slight idea where Aftermath is headed school may not allow time for more than weekly or bi-weekly updates. I'll try my hardest to at least manage a chapter a week. Thank you to all who have been reading this, comments are always appreaciated.  
  
Keys to Happiness - Chapter 2  
  
Jason reached the hospital in record time, having broken every law concerning speed that stood between Harborview Towers and General Hospital. He was more than slightly surprised he didn't have a police escort when he pulled into the hospital's parking lot. As he rushed through the doors towards the Elevator bay, he couldn't help but think of how much he detested hospitals. Especially since Emily had died. Instead of waiting the few minuets for the elevator to reach the ground floor, Jason dashed up the stairs to the floor housing ICU.  
  
The phone call from Monica had demolished the wall he had tried so hard to build between himself and his feelings for Elizabeth. Not that it had been an overly effective wall, it had still hurt. It had hurt to see her seeminly move on with Ric. It had hurt even more to see her get hurt because of Ric. The embolism had scared him in more ways that he could say. While it had hurt to see her go about her daily life without him in it, the thought of never being able to see her again hurt more.  
  
Since Emily's death he had isolated himself, not stopping to consider that there might be other people who had been hit just as hard by her death. He had forgotten that Emily's friends, Nikolas, Lucky, Zander and Elizabeth had loved her too. He vowwed that once Elizabeth was well enough that would change.   
  
In his haste to find out Elizabeth's condition Jason almost collided with Monica and Bobbie. The fear and desperation he was feeling must have been evident in his appearence, for Monica immediatly laid a comforting had on his arm.   
  
"She's alive Jason. She has a concussion, some broken ribs, a broken wrist, a wrenched knee and ankle and some bruising. She had some internal bleeding so we had to operate but she cam through that seemingly fine."  
  
"So, she is going to be ok?"  
  
"Well, hopefully. She isn't out of danger just yet. Because she hasn't regained conciousness since the paramedics brought her in we don't know if she has any nerological damage as a result of the head trama. We won't know until she wakes up and talks to us."  
  
"Can I see her?"  
  
"Of course, she has her own room, it's down this way. Be prepared Jason she looks pretty bad right now."  
  
Jason was emotionaly numb as he followed Monica down the hall. Elizabeth was alive, but they didn't know if she would be okay. Inside he just kept repeating, "she's alive, she'll be ok", over and over again like a broken record. Before losing Emily he had never given a thought to losing anyone, let alone Emily or Elizabeth. Of the three most importent women in his life he had already lost one to death and it looked as if he might lose the other two as well. Emily, Elizabeth and Lila were his only real reason for coming back to Port Charles.  
  
Standing outside the doorway to Elizabeth's room Jason hesitated, did he really have a right to be there? Did he have a right to ask her to fight when he wasn't even fighting for his own life? He might have just stood there and never stepped inside if Monica hadn't stepped up behind him and pushed him inside, before shutting the door.   
  
The gental shove was enough, Jason let his feet carry him across the room to where Elizabeth's small form lay dwarfed by the hospital bed. She was so still it scared Jason, if not for the rhythmic rise and fall fo her chest he would have thought her dead.   
  
Reaching out a shaky hand to snag a chair he drug it as close to the bed as possible. Sinking into the chair Jason took in all of Elizabeth's various bruises, cuts and scrapes. There were far too many marring her delicate porcaline skin. Holding her hand with one hand he reached up with the other to lightly trace the features of a face he held so dear.   
  
Settling himself with his chin on the bed and their joined hands inches from his face Jason started to ramble. He hoped that his voice would help her to find her way back to the world, to him. He talked about Italy, Ireland, pretty much any and every place he had ever been. He told her about the people, about the land and about his impressions of their lives. By midnight he ran out of countries ans started telling her about almost every aspect of his life since the day she had left. He talked about Emily's death, his feelings and his lack of courage to fight for what he wanted in his own life. About 4am he ran out of things to say and instead started crying, telling Elizabeth she had to fight, to find her way back, because without her he was lost. Tears running down both cheeks Jason told every reason he could think of for why she couldn't give up. Exhausted he told her the most importent reason she had to fight, he cared for her too much to ever willingly let her go. On a broken whisper he told her that if she didn't come back to him soon he would follow her to the ends of eternity, because between them there was no such thing as good bye.   
  
At 5 minuets after 6am he got what he wanted. Elizabeth opened her eyes, squeezed his hand right enough to make him flinch and whispered, "Jason?" 


	4. Chapter 3

Author's note - Okies here is Chapter 3, more than likely things will get even slower from here on out. And may I say on a personal note that College is expensive...4 books = $147 sigh okay and on other notes...I haven't been watching the show and if Ric and Elizabeth get back together I think I may be physicaly ill that goes for if Jason and Courtney get married as well. Oh and if Jason seems to be a bit out of charecter in this mark it down to a whole lot of stress on his part or something like that. Hope you like this.  
  
Keys to Happiness - Chapter 3  
  
Jason restlessly paced the ICU Hallway after having been kicked out so that Elizabeth could be examined. Hearing Elizabeth whisper his name had been a gift from Heaven. He had been so afraid that he was about to lose her as he had lost Emily. Jason wasn't sure but he didn't think he could live through losing Elizabeth to death. The knowledge shook him to the core of his being for he had no doubt that he could live with losing Courtney.  
  
As he stood in the hall outside Elizabeth's ICU room Jason knew what he had to do. He had to end things with Courtney before the lie that was their relationship went any further. He knew she thought she loved him, but Jason wasn't overly sure if she knew what love felt like. She had proclaimed her love for A.J. time and time again, but now she hated him. She had claimed to hate Sonny for quite a while and now she played the part of the perfect loving sister. Jason wasn't sure what was the truth and what had been the lie. How things between them had gotten so far Jason wasn't sure, but he felt Carly might have had a hand in pushing their relationship too far.  
  
As he was thinking about all the turns his life had taken in the last year Monica came to stand beside him, having finished examinating Elizabeth.  
  
"She should be fine given time to heal. As long as her vitals remain stable and she exibits no sign of infection or other injuries she could be released as early as a couple of days from now. Provided she has someone who can look after her. She won't be able to be on her won until the brace is removed from her leg, which will be a couple of weeks. That and the pain killers she is going to be prescribed will her her in be for at least a couple of weeks."  
  
"Does Audry know?"  
  
"Unfortunately Audry is currently out of town attending a medical comference and won't be back for over a week. Because Elizabeth is no longer a minor we can't inform her of Elizabeth's condition without Elizabeth's permission. I just asked and she doesn't want to worry her Grandmother."  
  
"Oh..."  
  
"The only one she wants to see is you Jason."  
  
"Okay. Monica can you get me Audry's number at the comference? Just in case I get her to change her mind."  
  
"Sure, I'll see if Bobbie can find it. You better get in there Jason, before she starts worring."  
  
"Thank you Monica, for everything."  
  
Before Monica could answer Jason was gone, slipping through the door into Elizabeth's room.  
  
Elizabeth looked up the moment the door opened and a smile spread across her face when she saw it was him. In response a matching smile spread across his as he moved to his chair, taking her hand in his.   
  
"I was so afraid I was going to lose you Elizabeth. If I were to lose you I don't know what iI would do. It hurt so much when you walked away from me last year but I ignored the pain thinking it was safer this way, bot physically and emotionally. The pain I felt that day and ever time I saw you after that was nothing compared to the pain I felt when I got the call from Monica telling me you were fighting for your life. I never want to feel anything like that again, I felt like I was dying inside. Watching you fight for your life was the hardest thing I have done in my life. I ment what I told you last night and this morning if you were to die I would follow you. I can't live without you. I'm just sorry it took me this long to realize how much you mean to me."  
  
"Jason..."  
  
"I know, it's a lot to take in and I'm sorry to thrust it on you so suddenly but almost losing you showed me how much of a mess things have become between us."  
  
"What about Courtney? Where is she in all this?"  
  
"shoving a hand through his hair I don't love Courtney, I barely care about her. When you left I didn't want to be alone, to have to face that you were gone. Being with Courtney kept me from having to feel and I let it go too far, I let Carly puch the relationship too far. I know I'll hurt Courtney because I don't love her but if I let things go any further it would hurt even more."  
  
"So what are you going to do Jason? If you feel like that you need to tell her."  
  
"I know. I just don't know how."  
  
"Talk to her Jason, tell her how you feel. You might find that she feels the same way. But wait till later please, I don't want to be alone just yet."  
  
"Than you won't be."  
  
"Thank you Jason."  
  
Jason didn't speak, just held her hand and watcher over her as she fell into a deep sleep. His was the face she saw when night mares woke her and his was the voice that soothed away the last of her fears. Never once during this time did he leave her side. He only ate because Monica brought him food or Elizabeth ordered him to eat. Elizabeth and Monica tried to send him more times than he could count to sleep, but having come so close to losing Elizabeth he couldn't go. Instead he had Jonny and Francis bring him clothes, a couple of travel books and all paper work in regards to the werehouse that had been on his desk collecting dust. He slept in the chair next to Elizabeth's bed, her hand intertwined with his.  
  
Four days after being hit Elizabeth was released from the Hospital and into Jason's supervising care. He had yet to talk to Courtney but then he felt that Elizabeth's well being was more importent that breaking off a lie of a relationship. 


	5. Chapter 4

Keys to Happiness - Chapter 4  
  
Jason stood looking at the door to his penthouse for twenty long minuets before forcing himself to reach out and turn the knob, opening the door. He hadn't left Elizabeth's side for any long length of time in four days and being away from her felt wrong. He had left her sleeping on her couch at the studio, while he ran some errands. First on the list had been to buy a bed for the studio and last was talking with Courtney. Things had never been great between himself and Courtney, but they had never been this bad either. Somewhere between sleeping with his brother's wife and Carly being kidnaped he had lost sight of the fact that he deserved to be happy.  
  
Stepping inside the penthouse he closed the door behind himself. Jason wasn't prepared for the sight that awaited him. The livingroom was trashed; broken glass was everywhere, deeply embedded in the carpet. His pool table wasn't untouched by the sea of destruction; the green felt was shredded beyond repair and the legs were marred with deep scratches in the wood.   
  
Worried about Courtney's state of mind Jason pulled out his gun, emptied the clip and chamber, engaged the safety and placed it on the ruined top of the pool table. Making his way upstairs he heard two voices, one Courtney's and the other that of an unidentified male. Retracing his steps to the pool table Jason reloaded his gun but kept the safety engaged as he crept back up the stairs. He had worried that Courtney's mental state would be so unstable that she would try to use the gun to harm someone, most likely herself, but now he was more concerned about someone trying to harm him. This he reflected was just another instance of how complicated simple matters, such as breaking up with your girlfriend, could become in the town of Port Charles, New York..  
  
As he crept closer to the door of the bedroom Jason was shocked by what he heard exiting Courtney's mouth.   
  
"I knew I should have backed up, I mean it was obviously too much to hope for that once would do the trick. But if I'd only backed up..."  
  
"If you had backed up you'd currently be inhabiting a jail cell Courtney. You have barely stayed out of jail as it is. I suggest you keep thoughts such as that out of your head if you want to retain your freedom.  
  
"Oh shut up Justin. We both know that I'll retain my freedom no matter what, you know Grandfather won't let it be any other way. It has been this long and nothing has happened."  
  
"The moment you get cocky is the moment this fails Courtney. This is a job, nothing more. You have to keep that fore most in your mind at all times. Jason Morgan can be nothing but a means to an end, a fringe benefit."  
  
"But what a nice fringe benefit he is. Justin what am I going to do? He hadn't been home or called since that night. If Elizabeth had gotten her claws into him she had to die. We can't afford to leave anything to chance this time."  
  
"Don't worry about it, everything will be taken care of when the right time appears. Elizabeth Webber's days are numbered."  
  
"Feeling sick to his stomach Jason crept ever closer to the door, unbelieving of what he was hearing.   
  
"I can't wait for this to be done with, it is so tiresome to play the part of loving girlfriend and sister day after day. The first thing I'm going to do after this is over is dye my hair back to its normal color, blond is just sooo not me."  
  
"Quit whining Courtney, you knew what it would be like going into this and you agreed."  
  
"Well I thought things would move quicker that this. It has been over a year Justin, a year! When I agreed to this I was told that I would be here six months max. In fact you promised me that it would take no time at all to carry out your plans against Sonny and Jason. That I wouldn't have to worry, I was just going to be a distraction. Well news flash, I stopped being a distraction a while ago. I barely register as a blip on the radar screen any more."  
  
"Stop whining we're almost done. Sonny and Jason are going to have no idea it's coming, it is just going to blind side them."  
  
"You had better hope so Justin because if they do none of us are going to survive the aftermath. In the mean time you had better get back outside before someone notices and wonders where you have gone."  
  
"What are you going to say about downstairs?"  
  
"Tell the truth, well a version of the truth. I was so upset that Jason hasn't been home or called in four days that I simply lost it. I'll call the housekeeping service and have it cleaned up. The only people who know what really happened are you and I."  
  
Before his emotions could get the better of him Jason crept back downstairs, out the door and across the hall into Sonny's penthouse. He found Sonny relaxing on the couch, news paper in hand. Sinking down onto the couch beside his partner Jason let his head rest in his hands. He didn't want to tell Sonny that Courtney was now a threat.  
  
Just by looking at his best friend, partner and brother Sonny knew something was wrong. He hadn't seen or heard from Jason in four days, he hadn't been worried knowing how hard he had taken Emily's death, but looking at the figure sitting next to him he realized he should have.  
  
"What's wrong Jason? Did something happen to Courtney?"  
  
"You might say that. Courtney hit Elizabeth four nights ago. She hit Elizabeth, ran and covered it up. Courtney also happens to be leaking information on the business."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"She's working with a man she called Justin and someone she called grandfather. sigh What are we going to do Sonny? She said she was meant to be a distraction and she has been a big one to all fo us. You and I have been so distracted that we must have been missing signs of a leak."  
  
"We'll go through our employees one by one and see if we can't find out who she is working with. I just don't understand it Jason, why would she do this? I mean why would she betray us when she in love with you?"  
  
"She isn't in love with my Sonny, I was just a fringe benefit. What are we going to do about her hitting Elizabeth? I can't let her get away with it Sonny, she was trying to kill Liz!"  
  
"Is that where you've been for the last four days, with Elizabeth?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"You were on your way to break it off with Courtney when you over heard all this weren't you?"  
  
"Yeah. When I say Elizabeth lying on that hospital bed with all the monitors attached to her I knew I couldn't live without her. In that moment I felt more fear that I have ever felt in my life. Sonny if she had died I would have followed her. When she was in the hospital because of the embolism I wasn't this frightened, even when she flat lined, but seeing her there and knowing that she had so few reasons left to fight I was consumed with the fear that she would just give up, that I would never be able to ask her forgiveness for being so stupid."  
  
"softly You love her don't you?"  
  
  
  
"Yeah, I do. I want nothing more than to be with her, but I can't now because of Courtney."  
  
"You'll find a way Jason. Now go and get back to her side. If Courtney asks you're out on business. Meanwhile I'll have someone I trust start looking into things to see if there is evidence of a leak." 


	6. Chapter 5

Keys to Happiness - Chapter 5  
  
Elizabeth woke to find Jason gone, but a not baring his hand writing on the coffee table within view and within easy reach.  
  
Elizabeth,   
  
I've gone to run a couple errands; mainly to get a bed and to  
  
talk to Courtney. As fond as I know we both are of that couch I have  
  
no intention of letting you sleep on it while you are recovering. The  
  
floor is also out of the question. Don't worry about the space issue  
  
I've already taken care of it, by the time you are able to paint you   
  
Won't have a bed in your way. There will be no arguing on this, I've  
  
already arranged it and there are no refunds. I'll bring you back   
  
Something to eat so don't move from the couch. On the coffee table  
  
is a glass of water, antibiotics and pain killers. Take an antibiotic  
  
now and a pain killer if you're in pain. Beside those you'll find your  
  
sketch book, pencils and a couple of other books. I don't know if  
  
you can draw with your wrist, but just in case. Remember Don't move  
  
off the couch. Be back soon.  
  
Jason  
  
Elizabeth was smiling when she reached for the sketch book and pencils. She didn't know if she could sketch with her wrist in the cast, but Jason's note had left her feeling inspired. Sketching with your dominate wrist in a cast can be a challenge and a bit awkward but Elizabeth was up to it. It took her a little while but she did get the hang of it. The image that emerged slowly through her pencil stokes was the likeness of someone dear to her heart. Her sketch was of Jason; his back was turned toward the viewer and his face half visible as he stared out a window over the city on a dark, rainy night. Encouraged Elizabeth sketched a few more pictures of Jason. One showed him leaning over a pool table lining up a shot; another showed him fixing something on his bike; and yet another showed him asleep on a couch, half covered by an afghan, an infant asleep on his chest. Of all the sketches she made the one of Jason and the infant touched her the most and was her favorite because it put on display a hope she head never let see daylight. She had admitted that she wanted children, but she had never admitted that she wanted to have Jason's child. She fell asleep, thoughts of a baby floating around her mind.   
  
Jason found her asleep, with her sketch book open in her lap. Setting the bags of food down on the counter Jason made his way over to the couch. He hated to wake her up, but he knew that the mattress would be delivered soon. Easing the sketch book out of her hands Jason moved to place it on the coffee table when the image on the paper caught his eye. While he couldn't make out the entire image he could make out bits and pieces.  
  
Elizabeth opened her eyes to see Jason's frown as he concentrated on piecing the sketched image into a picture in his mind. Reaching out she laid one hand over his and with the other traced the lines of the sketch, explaining and showing him the image the paper held. As the picture emerged Jason was struck by a wave of longing. He wanted a child, but not just any child with anyone, he wanted a child with Elizabeth. Looking into Elizabeth's eyes Jason saw the same desire mirrored there.  
  
There was no thought as his hands came up to cup her face or as his head dipped to catch her lips with his. The kiss was slow and gentle, awakening feeling of desire inside them both. The next kiss was hot and rode the border between hot and rode the border between wild and gentle. Things would have progressed from there quickly if not for the loud banging on the door announcing the arrival of the mattress. Groaning Jason broke the kiss, swearing at the delivery man's bad timing. Elizabeth watched in amusement as Jason stomped to the door.   
  
Once the door was open Jason rejoined Elizabeth on the couch as the mattress, box springs and bed frame were set against the wall at his instruction. When the delivery men were gone Jason wanted nothing more than to return to what he and Elizabeth had been doing, but Elizabeth's stomach chose that moment to let out a loud grumble reminding Jason the he had yet to feed her.   
  
Scowling as Elizabeth giggled Jason stood and grabbed the bag and a couple of bottles of water before returning to sit on the floor by the couch. Handing Elizabeth her Styrofoam box of food Jason opened his to reveal a cheeseburger and fries. Elizabeth opened hers to see a cheeseburger and soup. Spying the soup Elizabeth started giggling, thankful that Jason was too sweet to force gallons of soup into her as she had done to him.  
  
"I still don't like soup." Was all Jason said on the subject but it was said with a smile that made Elizabeth giggle even more. 


End file.
